10 Wrestlers Who Have Become More Inspiring Since They Retired

Retiring from the world of professional wrestling has proven itself difficult for many top stars in the industry. In many respects, it's completely understandable why these men and women would be wary of stepping away from the spotlight they'd inhabited for many years. After all, why would anyone want to give up the money, adulation and sheer thrill of performing in front of thousands of people every night, and millions more watching on television?

Men such as Ric Flair, Mick Foley and Terry Funk have shown time and time again that they're unable to give it all up, with Funk standing tall as the most notable example. Incredibly, the first time the legendary Texan talked about hanging up his boots was way back in 1983, and his retirement has become somewhat of a running joke in the grappling industry ever since.

Yes indeed, physically removing oneself from the wrestling ring surely isn't an easy task, but what of those who manage to become more inspiring stories long after they last laced up the boots and pulled on a pair of tights? It's been said that escaping from the wrestling industry alive is an achievement in itself, but these people have managed it, and have some incredible stories to tell.

Better yet, all listed here have become a source of inspiration for others, sometimes in the most unlikely ways imaginable!

Let's be honest, if ever there was a wrestler who rubbed people the wrong way during his career, it was Shawn Michaels. His most talked about rivalry behind the scenes may have been with Bret Hart, but many others, including the likes of The Rock, Bam Bam Bigelow and even Shane Douglas had run ins with the man.

Throughout the 1990's, the general consensus was that Michaels was a jerk, someone who was hard to work with and had a ego that was blatantly out of control. In fairness to the man himself, Shawn has been honest about this, saying he has grown up immeasurably ever since, and lashed out at others when he felt under pressure.

Since retiring in 2010 after superb back-to-back WrestleMania matches against The Undertaker, HBK has seemed pretty content with life away from the ring. Religion is quite clearly a polarising subject, but Michaels has embraced it as a reason for making him a better person, and quite often holds Bible study classes with young people, encouraging them to live a good life.